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notdavid

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Not to incite a discussion about religion on the internet, but...

Is it a bad idea to join a cult?

I've been an atheist for a few years, which doesn't do a lot to help my intense fear of death and the unsettling feeling that I'll never be able to understand what my place in the universe is. So I've been thinking of adopting a philosophy to fall back on when I'm confronted with life's conundrums. Not something that I would seriously believe, because it's kind of hard to start seeing god in spaces that I've already filled in with science. But I'm intrigued by dogma and rituals. Some kind of structure that I can guide my life by.

The top two contenders so far are Scientology and Buddhism. I like the RPG aspect of Scientology. The idea of progressing through OT levels could give me a goal in life, though I probably wouldn't get very far if I don't take it seriously. Which I wouldn't. The sci fi bullshit is silly in a way I can get behind, but the organization's practice of censoring dissenting opinions seems kind of shitty.

Buddhism seems kind of cool, and there are even books about following the philosophy without taking the superfluous mythological bullshit literally. It would probably be better for me psychologically than Scientology but it doesn't have the novelty value of aliens, and it would probably require actual effort to grow spiritually, as opposed to trowing money at an e-meter until it says I'm a good person.

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Bleako

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I wonder if OP is reading every single post in here and making a checklist.

"Yeah ok Satanism, let me just write that down next to Jedi in the "maybe" category. Reptilian Cult, not too sure about that, I'm not a lizard but you know, I'm really scared of death so whatever helps me with that!"

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dichemstys

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Just worship Satan.

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sephirm87

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Edited By sephirm87

If you want, you cant look into Deism, a simple belief that there is "something more" to life, minus any and all serious dogma. I switched from atheism to Deism a while ago. More hopeful.

edit: btw Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Hobbes, etc were all deists, that was what attracted my initial interest.

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TheHumanDove

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Edited By TheHumanDove

FUCK

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VoshiNova

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@jasonr86 said:

Fuck.

I read that in Ryan Davis voice. And it applies perfectly.

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fattony12000

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zFUBARz

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@notdavid said:

I've been an atheist for a few years, which doesn't do a lot to help my intense fear of death and the unsettling feeling that I'll never be able to understand what my place in the universe is.

In a way it's all very grim, so I understand why people turn to religion, but it's acutally the truth. Like it or not, the truth is the truth, there's no point running away from it and I think any philosophy that deliberately avoids facts to somehow make life more bearable is inhenrently flawed.

Dude, don't join a cult.

I never get why people think that's grim, to me I say it's motivating, if the only legacy we leave is our impact on others then shouldn't we all strive to change the lives of those around us? Which really brings us back to most good religious teachings, "be excellent to each other"

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intro

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Edited By intro

So you want something to stop you from being scared of death?

Just start to think that all that silly science isn't true and you'll go to heaven. That works for millions of others just fine. I know it sounds like a dickhead response, but I don't know what else to tell you. I just accept the fact that we die and that's it. So enjoy life while you're on the planet. Death comes to everyone.

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StarvingGamer

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Last I heard, Scientology was pay-to-win.

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Blu3V3nom07

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Just do gamechurch. I'm sure you could pay someone money, at some point.

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Azteck

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You do realize that you can't just choose a philosophy like a religion, right? All you'll do then is fooling yourself. On that note, why would you choose Scientology. You must have seen the stupid shit that cult produces, right? Why do you think that would help you get over your fear of death if you have already decided that deities do not exist.

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Ravenlight

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@mikkaq said:

Buddhism has sweet RPG mechanics man, so no need for scientology. Unfortunately the level cap is 4, but when you get to that point you transcend this, and all other planes of existence, which sounds totally rad. Plus Buddhism has a respawn system so you can keep trying to get to level 4, and your level carries over from one life to the next!

Props for tying it back to video games! :D

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pr1mus

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I only just opened this topic despite seeing it last night thinking "no thanks, i'm good".

I was not expecting this.

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MikkaQ

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Edited By MikkaQ

Buddhism has sweet RPG mechanics man, so no need for scientology. Unfortunately the level cap is 4, but when you get to that point you transcend this, and all other planes of existence, which sounds totally rad. Plus Buddhism has a respawn system so you can keep trying to get to level 4, and your level carries over from one life to the next!

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Aurelito

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It's not necessarily bad to join a cult, it's retarded to join a cult. Can assume there are girls in each cult you can do stuff to, but is it worth it?

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Example1013

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Personally I'd recommend joining a Reptilian cult so that when our shape-shifting overlords finally arrive you'll be ready to welcome them with open arms, instead of being slaughtered mercilessly like the rest of the cattle.

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Hunter5024

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I'm in a lizard cult that's been going pretty well for me.

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SlashDance

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Edited By SlashDance

edit: double post, sorry.

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SlashDance

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@notdavid said:

I've been an atheist for a few years, which doesn't do a lot to help my intense fear of death and the unsettling feeling that I'll never be able to understand what my place in the universe is.

You need to come to terms with the facts, not join a cult that will fill your head with delusions and lies, however comforting they might sound.

The truth is there might be no purpose to the universe. We don't know that for sure but we can at least say that there's no evidence of purpose, so as far as we're concerned, we're just insignificant beings on a spec of dust that nobody else in the universe knows or cares about. You just have to deal with this and realize that life on earth is exactly what you want to make of it, and that it simply stops when you die.

In a way it's all very grim, so I understand why people turn to religion, but it's acutally the truth. Like it or not, the truth is the truth, there's no point running away from it and I think any philosophy that deliberately avoids facts to somehow make life more bearable is inhenrently flawed.

Dude, don't join a cult.

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Pudge

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Edited By Pudge

@troll93: So you go to a "reform" church twice a year to appease family members? What a waste of time for all involved.

On another note, the meaning of your paragraph directed towards me continues to elude me, so feel free to make yourself clear unless you were just living up to your username.

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FancySoapsMan

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try talking to a monk about this maybe?

They'll probably be better at answering your questions than anyone here.

also becoming a scientologist seems like a terrible idea, especially for the reasons you provided.

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Anund

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@troll93 said:

@pudge: [..] The church that I go accepts the big bang, evolution, is cool with gays and just preaches the actual message of Jesus, treat each other as you want to be treated. [..]

Man, that just sounds like a cool church. I am not religious, but that is the kind of thing I can totally get behind. A religion which basically accepts reality for what it is and just says "hey, be good to eachother". If they were all a lot more like that, I'd have no issue with religion what so ever.

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deactivated-5e49e9175da37

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I'm an atheist. I dislike Bronze Age superstition and the strange combination of maximum solipsism and maximum servility that Abrahamic religions demand. And I urge all rational people to abandon it. Even if merely for the half-measure of agnosticism.

I love the religious playing the 'tolerance' card, you can't say anything that might offend them. Same as it ever was, the only difference is nowadays they can't execute you for hurting their precious fee-fees.

Edit: on wait unless you're Islam. And then not only can you execute people who offend your religion, you can issue death contracts on foreign citizens who offend you. And the supposed 'moderate' Westerners will tacitly endorse it. Islam is the one religion who can demand that non-believers the world over follow the precepts of their religion.

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Kidavenger

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If you aren't going to believe, then I would just join whichever one is most popular in your community; Improve your social life, maybe get a girlfriend, escape from a life of asking retarded questions on the internet.

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AlexanderSheen

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Edited By AlexanderSheen

@cloudenvy: I see. For me the Kickstarter scam comments were the end of me. People after people showed evidence indicating the whole thing is just a cash grab and a publicity stunt, but still, some folks are so moronic and unable to believe that the genuinity of the "project" is non-existent. The stupidity of poeple shows again and again and I'm not even angry about it anymore, it's just makes me sad.

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UlquioKani

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Being a buddhist is pretty easy. It's basically the same as the number one rule for Giant Bomb.

1.) Don't be a jerk

Other than that, there isn't really all that much to it.

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Cloudenvy

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@alexandersheen: How do you even get to the point of the original poster? At what point do you think it's sensible to either: Join a cult, become a scientologist because you like the "RPG" aspect of it or join a religion you don't believe in?

Everything about the opening post is a good mix of the dumbest/best crap I've ever read except for the part where he wants more structure and goals in his life.

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AlexanderSheen

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Cloudenvy

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I feel like the internet is becoming too much for me these days...

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TobbRobb

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Dude don't join a cult. Just don't be a dick. You can steal rituals from religions if they help make you sleep better, but no need to follow them step by step if you're not a true believer anyways.

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inkerman

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Yes, the censoring of dissenting opinions by Scientology is "kind of shitty" in the same way that the Third Reich was "sort of bad".

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OfficeGamer

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Islam is your answer me breda

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Tiamatsword22

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You can join my cult duder. All it takes it is ten easy payments of $10,000.* In return you get the sastifaction of having given me a bunch of money for no reason.

*Also payable in equivalent value in Brad Bucks.

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zenmastah

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Scientology is like EA in religion, its all in the nickel and diming..

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Darson

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@notdavid said:
I like the RPG aspect of Scientology.

Best thing I've read all decade.

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BeachThunder

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Edited By BeachThunder

You might find this interesting:

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zFUBARz

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@theht: Yeah I didn't think the comparison fit too well, but I'm always open to the possibility I misunderstood.

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Pudge

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Edited By Pudge

@darthorange said:

Most atheists follow flyentology, where they go about there lives then look to God only when the shit hits the fan.

Good of you to speak for atheists considering that you obviously aren't one. I can't speak for everyone I guess, but for me personally, if "shit hit the fan", I have no one to blame but myself. I don't get to beg for forgiveness from some all powerful being in the sky, I get to look inside and realize what I did to cause said shit hitting said fan, and then I get to go on the long road to fixing those problems or I just accept that I'm messed up in one way or another.

To the OP, no. It's not good to join a cult. It is good to question what you believe in though, it's not something you come to overnight.

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TheHT

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@zfubarz said:

@whamola: ? the mathematician or the user?

probably the mathematician. unless there's some other religious argument of Pascal's he was referring to, what you said didn't 'reek' of Pascal. like, at all.

where the wager says that you should be religious in case God happens to actually exists so you'll go to heaven, you said that whether God exists or not, you should be good for goodness sake.

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ShadowConqueror

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Make your own.

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TruthTellah

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@notdavid: Yes, it's a bad idea to join a cult. Joining Scientology is not something anyone should do.

And joining a religion you don't believe in is also a bad idea. A really bad one. There's no reason to be a part of a religion if you don't believe it. None whatsoever. If you had to choose, Buddhism isn't an awful thing to look into, but don't join it because of non-belief reasons. Pursue a better understanding of it because you want to, not because you feel you need to as part of a group. I'm a servant of Christ, but I would never, -ever- encourage anyone to state belief in Christianity if they didn't actually believe it. I can understand your desire to address serious spiritual questions, but the answer to that is researching about it, not just jumping into some organization. No religious belief should ever be about some structure or institution; it should simply be about what you choose to believe, whatever that may be.

This is your life, and you must choose for yourself. Do your own research, reach out to people, and try to gain a better understanding of where you're going. Pursue the truth and don't accept anything less, because your life and what you do with it matters.

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TangoUp

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Interesting thing about Buddhism is that Buddha never wanted a religion to be formed based on him and neither that he be revered as a god ...

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zFUBARz

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@whamola: ? the mathematician or the user?

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JasonR86

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@jasonr86 said:

@clonedzero said:

this thread is only going bitter angry internet athiest directions so yeah dont bother.

real-life atheists seem like sensible normal people. internet ones are SO GOD DAMN BITTER and angry its annoying as fuck

To be fair, 'internet-everyone' sucks.

i dunno. "internet atheists" are by far the most insufferable annoying, arrogant douchebags on the face fo the earth. im not even religious. im apathetic on the entire concept.

anytime i see anyone even remotely reference religion on the internet you see a swarm of douchey comments bashing the guy for being religious. its insane. why it bugs me when im not even remotely religious? well i dunno, it seems disrespectful to the highest degree to me.

No comment.

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Clonedzero

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Edited By Clonedzero

@jasonr86 said:

@clonedzero said:

this thread is only going bitter angry internet athiest directions so yeah dont bother.

real-life atheists seem like sensible normal people. internet ones are SO GOD DAMN BITTER and angry its annoying as fuck

To be fair, 'internet-everyone' sucks.

i dunno. "internet atheists" are by far the most insufferable annoying, arrogant douchebags on the face fo the earth. im not even religious. im apathetic on the entire concept.

anytime i see anyone even remotely reference religion on the internet you see a swarm of douchey comments bashing the guy for being religious. its insane. why it bugs me when im not even remotely religious? well i dunno, it seems disrespectful to the highest degree to me.